Despite strong resume, LSU can't get the job (done); Alabama wins the National Championship!

LSU walked into New Orleans' Super Dome for the National Championship game with a resume strong enough that some thought they ranked among the great teams of all time. And what a resume it was! Of the elite eight teams in the quarterfinals, the Tigers had beaten four during the regular season (Alabama, Oregon, Arkansas, and West Virginia) and two more in the tournament (Wisconsin and Stanford), leaving Oklahoma State as the only team not vanquished.

On the other side of the field, Alabama was trying to win the championship based on lessons learned from the school of hard knocks. If the Tide can learn the third of three lessons, the Tide could turn to win a national title:

Lesson #1: Don't take quarterfinal games for granted. Life lesson? In January 2009, in a highly anticipated 4/5 game, Alabama showed up in Pasadena listless, and received a thumping at the hands of #5 USC. Lesson learned? Bama took out Ohio State two seasons ago and West Virginia this season with little problem.

Lesson #2: Just because you win the quarterfinal easily, don't think the semi-finals will be an easy win. Life lesson? After beating Ohio State two seasons ago in the Sugar Bowl, the Tide showed up at the Syracuse Semi-Finals expecting to beat Florida, but again lost to the tourney's #5 seed. Lesson learned? After Bama took out the Mountaineers in the Sugar Bowl this season, the Tide took care of business against Oklahoma State in the Semi-Finals.

Lesson #3: Regular season results can be thrown out the window during the tournament. Life lesson? Two seasons ago, Alabama had easily handled Tebow and the Gators in the SEC Championship game. In what seemed like a hug win at the time, it was dwarfed when Florida won the rematch. Lesson learned? We will see if the TIde can get past the OT loss to LSU in Tuscaloosa.

The championship game continued the defensive battle of the regular season match. In the first three minutes of the first quarter, Alabama's A.J. McCarron tried to pass the Tide out of bad field position, but his pass to Brad Smelley resulted in the tight end being tackled in the end zone. Tigers grab the 2-0 lead.

But the Tide kept their heads up, and kicked, kicked, kicked themselves to the lead. While LSU's offense looked listless in their home state, Tide kicked Jeremy Shelley hit a field goal in the first, two more in the second, and two more in the third, to methodically give Alabama a 15-2 lead going into the final frame. Alabama finally crossed the goal line in the fourth on Trent Richardson's 34 yard run, and the Tide took the 21-2 lead that turned out to be the final.

Alabama wins the 2011-2012 National Championship!


UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:

FIRST ROUND:


In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)

In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Orange:
1 LSU 25
8 Wisconsin 21

Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32

Sugar:
2 Alabama 34
10 West Virginia 0

Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37

Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
1 LSU 34
4 Stanford 17

2 Alabama 22
3 Oklahoma State 14

BCS Championship in New Orleans (January 28th)
1 LSU 2
2 Alabama 21